Jason Mantzoukas on ‘The House’ and Getting You to Root for the Crazy Guy

With the Warner Bros. comedy The House opening this weekend in theaters, I recently sat down with Jason Mantzoukas for an exclusive video interview. He talked about the secret of playing a crazy person that you also want to root for, what it’s like going from a bit role in Baby Mama to starring opposite Amy Poehler, memorable moments from filming, being part of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, what it’s like doing a one-day comedy punch up on the Transformers: Age of Extinction script and what that entails, future projects like The Long Dumb Road, and a lot more.

If you haven’t seen the trailers, The House stars Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler as a married couple who, after losing their daughter’s college fund, become desperate to earn it back. As a result, they team up with their neighbor (played by Jason Mantzoukas) to start an illegal casino in their basement. Neighbors and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates co-writer Andrew Jay Cohen makes his feature directorial debut on the project, working from a script he co-wrote with Brendan O’Brien. The House also stars Nick Kroll, Allison Tolman, Michaela Watkins, Ryan Simpkins, Jessie Ennis, Rob Huebel, Cedric Yarbrough, and Jeremy Renner.

Image via Warner Bros.

Check out what Jason Mantzoukas had to say in the video above and a breakdown of what we discussed below, followed by the red-band trailer and some images.

Jason Mantzoukas:

What’s the secret of playing a crazy person who you also want to root for?

How he had a small role in Baby Mama which starred Amy Poehler.

What’s it like being part of Brooklyn Nine-Nine?

How he did a one-day comedy punch up on Transformers: Age of Extinction and what that entails.

Talks about memorable moments from filming The House.

What is it like to work opposite Will Ferrell because he’s always willing to do anything for the scene.

Talks about The Long Dumb Road and what it’s about.

Here’s the official synopsis for The House:

After Scott and Kate Johansen (Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler) lose their daughter Alex’s college fund, they become desperate to earn it back so she can pursue her dream of attending a university. With the help of their neighbor Frank (Jason Mantzoukas), they decide to start an illegal casino in the basement of his house.

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